New sustainable routes take centre stage at this autumn’s events
On 29 and 30 September, the Italian Energy Summit, organised by *Il Sole 24 Ore*, will take place; on 29 October, the Sustainability Forum will be held in Rome. From 20 to 22 October, it will be the turn of NetZero Milan (Fiera Milano)
Key points
- .
Climate change and a global temperature that is expected to exceed the fateful 1.5-degree threshold set by the Paris Agreement in the coming years. Yet, at the same time, the path towards decarbonisation and the efforts of businesses to bring about a change of course by embracing an economic model centred on respect for the environment. Sustainability, together with the energy transition, is the common thread linking the events of autumn 2026, stretching from Milan to Rome. On 29 and 30 September, the 26th edition of Il Sole 24 Ore’s Italian Energy Summit will take place in the Lombard capital.
On 29 October, the 2026 Sustainability Forum, organised by *Il Sole 24 Ore*, will take place at the Ennio Morricone Auditorium at the Parco della Musica in Rome. The morning will be dedicated to the ‘Focus on Young People’ session and will also feature the award ceremony for the second edition of the Sustainable School Award, whilst in the afternoon the spotlight will be on the ‘Focus on Businesses’ session, followed by the award ceremony for the fifth edition of the Sustainable Business Award. Once again this year, the guest of honour will be Italia’s Minister for the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin. In a global landscape marked by profound and interconnected transitions, sustainability is emerging as one of the main drivers of economic, industrial and social transformation. Businesses today operate in a context characterised by climate change, evolving markets, new expectations from investors and consumers, and a rapidly developing regulatory framework. In this context, sustainability is no longer an afterthought, but a structural component of growth and competitiveness strategies. The ‘Business Focus’ session at the Sustainability Forum 2026 will provide a forum for discussion on the key global trends that are redefining the sustainable transition across its environmental, economic and social dimensions: from decarbonisation to the circular economy, from the digitalisation of processes to sustainable finance, right through to the growing role of people and skills. An open dialogue on how businesses can interpret and anticipate these changes, integrating innovation, a long-term vision and responsibility, to create lasting value and contribute to more resilient and equitable development. To round off this programme, the fifth edition of the Sustainable Business Award will recognise SMEs that effectively integrate sustainability, innovation and social responsibility into their business model, demonstrating that growth and shared value can go hand in hand.
The morning’s ‘Focus Giovani’ session aims to create a space for discussion and exchange between students, professionals, educational institutions and pioneering organisations, so that together they can envisage and build a fairer, more inclusive and environmentally conscious future, drawing on the ideas and energy of those who will shape that future. The initiative runs alongside the second edition of the Sustainable School Award. It offers an opportunity to highlight educational initiatives that integrate sustainability into teaching and everyday school life, actively involving pupils and teachers as the true drivers of change.
From 20 to 22 October, it is the turn of NetZero Milan at the Allianz MiCo. Fiera Milano’s Expo Summit is dedicated to the electrification of the economy and the competitiveness of the industrial system. Each day of NetZero Milan will begin with an opening session. On Thursday 22 October, Philippe Aghion, winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics, will deliver a keynote lecture, in which he will discuss his theory of creative destruction in relation to the current context, covering innovation, industrial policies and climate targets. There will also be fifteen conferences covering five key themes: how energy consumption is changing; the requirements and conditions necessary to ensure the security, economic sustainability and scalability of decarbonised electricity systems; solutions for reducing emissions in hard-to-abate sectors; and the economic and financial levers for the transition and transformation of mobility.
